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A Brief Defence of Baptism as Practised in Presbyterian Churches (Part I)

Presbyterian churches practise the baptism of adult new believers as well as the infant baptism of the children of believers. The goal of this article is to present the biblical rationale for what we do. We would certainly not be wanting to be doing something that is merely a man-made tradition.

Should baptism only be by immersion or are pouring/sprinkling also biblical?

Contrary to popular impression and the movies, bodily immersion is nowhere specified in Scripture as the mode used for baptism.  The Greek form of the word itself is used more widely.  Elsewhere it simply means ritual washing or cleansing and is translated as that (Hebrews 9:10; Eph 5:26; Luke 11:38; Mark 7:4).  In Hebrews, it refers to the sprinkling of temple items to set them aside as holy. 

There is also valid reason to believe that immersion could not have been used in at least some of the New Testament baptisms as they are described. In a culture without indoor plumbing or facilities for immersion, the Philippian jailer and his household were baptized between midnight and dawn by two evangelists who had just been severely beaten (Acts 16:33).  It is highly unlikely that they wended their way down to a river in the dark in these circumstances.  Scripture states: “At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.”  Furthermore, Acts 16: 37 states that Paul refused to leave the gaol without the magistrates coming to him in person, so it is unlikely he’d already left in the night.  Again, in a straightforward reading of Paul’s own conversion, it looks very much like he was baptized in a house: “Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength” (Acts 9:18-19). 

Historically, sprinkling or pouring is “not some new innovation”.   All modes of baptism seem to have been practised in the early church.  For example, paintings in the catacombs (before 200 A.D.) show believers standing in some water and the water being poured on them.  A written reference, even earlier, states that both immersion and pouring are acceptable and was far more concerned with the fact that running water be used to better represent the washing away of sin – which few do today in any tradition. By the time of the Reformation in the 1500s and 1600s, both immersion and pouring/sprinkling were taking place.  Some reformers even advocated for the re-introduction of immersion to some churches but ultimately sprinkling was favoured for practical reasons such as the fact that the elderly, sick or young could even be endangered by immersion in cold water as getting warm water in a church in Northern Europe in the 1600s would have been difficult. 

The objection is sometimes made that Jesus and the Ethiopian eunuch are said to come up out of the water after their baptisms (Acts 8:39; Matthew 3:16), which some take to imply immersion.  But this is not necessarily the case.  Notice that after Philip baptizes the Ethiopian eunuch, “they came up out of the water” (Acts 8:39).  Only one was baptized but both are spoken of as coming up out of the water.  “Coming up out of the water isn’t a reference to being submerged, it’s a reference to walking out of the water to the shore, which they both did after the baptism was completed” (Parker). 

Jesus’ own baptism was likely by sprinkling.  It is often stated that the reason Jesus was baptised was to identify with us.  But Scripture states the reason for his baptism.  We are told he was baptised ‘to fulfil all righteousness’ (Matthew 3:15).  It seems most consistent with Scripture to say that he was fulfilling the law regarding entry into the priesthood so that he could ultimately be our great high priest (Hebrews 4:14-16).

You will notice the interesting parallels, even to the exact ordering of steps, for setting apart a priest to God’s service and Jesus’ baptism.

We too are saved to be ‘a royal priesthood’, and so the symbolism continues on many levels (1 Peter 2:9).

While the symbolism of baptism by immersion does seem to represent being buried with Christ and raised to new life with him (Romans 6), it is important to note that sprinkling has its own rich symbolism which is universal even in cultures that do not practice burial.  Sprinkling is imagery from the Old Testament to signify cleansing and sanctifying (setting apart) people or objects for God’s service (e.g. Hebrews 9: 13-21).   Ezekiel 36:25-26 states that, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; …I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit”. 

It was no accident that the first Christian baptisms were held at Pentecost.  Peter had just proclaimed to the crowds that after Jesus was raised and exalted, he had received from God the promised Holy Spirit whom “he has poured out” (Acts 2:33). Peter explained that this was a fulfilment of the prophecy in Joel that God would “pour out” his Spirit on all flesh (Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2:17-18).   Baptism of the 3000 new converts in one day with the pouring/sprinkling on of water would not only have been symbolically fitting but the most likely scenario.  Later “The Ethiopian eunuch asked to be baptised because he had just been reading about the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 52-53 who would “sprinkle many nations” (Isa 52:15; Acts 8:32-37).”  (Matthews 2022).

“Baptism and the Lord’s Supper  (communion) are the two symbolical sacraments of the New Testament. The Supper represents the work of Christ, and Baptism the work of the Spirit” in accomplishing our salvation (says Easton).  Fittingly, the first was instituted on the day of Christ’s death and the latter first conducted on the day of Pentecost.  “As in the Supper a small amount of bread and wine used in this ordinance exhibits in symbol the great work of Christ, so in Baptism the work of the Holy Spirit is fully seen in the water poured or sprinkled on the person in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost”  (Easton).

Conclusion

We have a whole Bible and an unchanging God, and the New Testament can best be understood in the light of the Old – baptism included.

Bibliography

DeYoung, Kevin.  “A brief defence of infant baptism”.  Gospel Coalition.  15 Mar, 2015.  Web.  27 Apr, 2025.  https://growingfaith.com.au/articles/a-brief-defence-of-infant-baptism

Easton, Matthew. “Baptism, Christian – Easton’s Bible Dictionary.” Blue Letter Bible. 24 Jun, 1996. Web. 27 Apr, 2025. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/Dictionary/viewTopic.cfm&gt;.

Helopoulos, Jason.  Covenantal Baptism.  P & R Publishing: Phillipsburg 2021.

Matthews, Andrew. “Done with Dunking”. Caldron Pool.  21 Mar, 2022.  Web.  27 Apr, 2025.  https://caldronpool.com/done-with-dunking/

Parker, Adam.  “A Pastoral Letter on Sprinkling”.  Reformation21.  15 Mar, 2021.  Web.  27 Apr, 2025.  https://www.reformation21.org/blog/a-pastoral-letter-on-sprinkling

Slick, Matthew.  “Was Jesus Baptized by Sprinkling or Immersion?”.  CARM.  22 Aug, 2013.  Web. 27 Apr, 2025.  https://carm.org/doctrine-and-theology/was-jesus-baptized-by-immersion-or-sprinkling/

– Shona Archer